The Fine Art Society Ltd
Skip to main content
  • Menu
  • Artworks
  • Artists
  • Exhibitions
  • Viewing Room
  • About
  • Frames
  • Contact
Menu

20th century

  • All
  • Scottish
  • Pre-19th century
  • 19th century
  • 20th century
  • Contemporary
  • Design
Sir Muirhead Bone HRSA HRWS, A Manhattan Excavation, 1923
Sir Muirhead Bone HRSA HRWS, A Manhattan Excavation, 1923
Sir Muirhead Bone HRSA HRWS, A Manhattan Excavation, 1923

Sir Muirhead Bone HRSA HRWS 1876-1953

A Manhattan Excavation, 1923
signed in plate; signed in pencil to margin and initialled MB (indicating a proof reserved for the artist)
drypoint
12 ¼ x 10 inches
one of 18 impressions in the 13th state of 19, 151 impressions in all

Further images

  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 1 ) Thumbnail of additional image
  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 2 ) Thumbnail of additional image
  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 3 ) Thumbnail of additional image
Bone was a printmaker and watercolour artist noted for his depictions of architectural subjects, city views, landscapes, and his work as an artist in both the First and Second World...
Read more
Bone was a printmaker and watercolour artist noted for his depictions of architectural subjects, city views, landscapes, and his work as an artist in both the First and Second World Wars. After the First World War, Bone made fewer prints until he travelled to the United States. In this bird’s-eye view, Muirhead Bone presents a meticulously detailed construction site in Midtown Manhattan. With great observational precision, he depicts workers building the Roosevelt Hotel at 45th Street and Madison Avenue, one of the many massive construction projects underway during the economic boom of the 1920s.

Using the intaglio technique of drypoint, Bone contrasts the immense size and dramatic complexity of the excavation pit with the tiny figures of the construction workers. At the top of the image, Bone captures a bustling street intersection filled with cars and pedestrians. He spent five years completing this print, which went through 19 states before it was finally issued as an edition in 1928; it is now regarded as one of the artist’s most celebrated drypoints.
Close full details

Provenance

The Fine Art Society, London; Kirkton House, Scotland

Literature

Campbell Dodgson, MS Continuation of Etchings & Dry Points by Muirhead Bone 1897-1907 A Catalogue, London, 1909, pp 136-138, no.390 xiii/XIX
Enquire
%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3ESir%20Muirhead%20Bone%20HRSA%20HRWS%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EA%20Manhattan%20Excavation%3C/span%3E%2C%20%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E1923%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22signed_and_dated%22%3Esigned%20in%20plate%3B%20signed%20in%20pencil%20to%20margin%20and%20initialled%20MB%20%28indicating%20a%20proof%20reserved%20for%20the%20artist%29%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Edrypoint%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E12%20%C2%BC%20x%2010%20inches%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22edition_details%22%3Eone%20of%2018%20impressions%20in%20the%2013th%20state%20of%2019%2C%20151%20impressions%20in%20all%3C/div%3E
Previous
|
Next
20 
of  118

  

EDINBURGH

6 Dundas Street

Edinburgh EH3 6HZ

+44(0) 131 557 4050  

edinburgh@thefineartsociety.com

Open Mon to Fri 10am - 6pm, Sat 11am - 2pm

LONDON 

Marlborough Court, 25 Carnaby Street

London W1F 7DE 

+44(0) 20 7629 5116

london@thefineartsociety.com

Open Mon to Fri 10am - 6pm

Please make an appointment as, from time to time, the gallery is unmanned. 

Facebook, opens in a new tab.
Twitter, opens in a new tab.
Instagram, opens in a new tab.
Join the mailing list
Send an email
Legal
Manage cookies
Copyright © 2023 The Fine Art Society Ltd
Site by Artlogic

The Fine Art Society uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.

Manage cookies
Accept

Cookie preferences

Check the boxes for the cookie categories you allow our site to use

Cookie options
Required for the website to function and cannot be disabled.
Improve your experience on the website by storing choices you make about how it should function.
Allow us to collect anonymous usage data in order to improve the experience on our website.
Allow us to identify our visitors so that we can offer personalised, targeted marketing.
Save preferences
Close

Join our mailing list

Interests *

Categories *

Signup

* denotes required fields

We will process the personal data you have supplied to communicate with you in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.